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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26432455">caramel tasted dreams</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctnis/pseuds/noctnis'>noctnis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Domestic Bliss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Older Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Post-Time Skip, Running Away</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:02:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,923</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26432455</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctnis/pseuds/noctnis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignis and Noctis have a drink and discussion under the stars.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>caramel tasted dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i did like five minutes of research about bourbon for this</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Never saw you as the late-night drinker type," Noctis mused after he opened the sliding window door that led to a balcony, showed a beautiful view of the lake that shimmered from the blue moonlight and making the world colored in a calming, cool hue. Ignis huffs out of his nose, amused while taking another sip of his drink. Tenebrean bourbon, Noctis recognizes from the bottle, probably one of the few couples of it's kind, no thanks to Tenebrae's fall. </p><p>"You learn more about me every day, my love," Ignis says, looking away from the lake momentarily to look at Noctis with shining green eyes. He offers Noctis a small smile, and Noctis smiles back.</p><p>"More than the last odd years we have known each other?" Noctis asks, closing the sliding window door and taking a seat on the chair opposite of Ignis. Ignis tightens his hand into a fist and pushes it against his cheek.</p><p>"No… But at least it will keep you on your toes for a while," Ignis replies, pouring another cup of his drink and immediately drinking it down with a refreshing sigh at the end. Noctis snorts, pulling one leg up to his chest by hooking his arm underneath and the other one rested on the armrest of the plastic chair.</p><p>"How many glasses have you drank so far?" Noctis asks, smiling at Ignis blinking and sticking his lower lip in thought. He tapped his finger against his cheek, before finally replying with,</p><p>"I assume… ten glasses?" </p><p>Noctis coughs, flabbergasted at Ignis, and his heavyweight drinking. "Astrals, Iggy, you might as well drink without the cup." Noctis exclaims, running a hand through his hair. Ignis exhales out of his nose, in thought for a moment before placing the lip of the bottle onto his own and taking a swig.</p><p>"Apologies, it's just a very delightful drink…" He murmurs after the quick swig, before slowly pointing the bottle towards Noctis, "Care to take a taste?" Noctis's lip thinned as he narrows his eyes at the bottle, a bit tempted. The man was never a drinker, much-preferring drinks such as juice and the like. He never enjoyed the bitter, burning taste of alcohol, but he guesses since Ignis asked…</p><p>"… Just a bit." He finally says and he heard Ignis already pouring him a cup from the one he just drank out of. He then gingerly pushes the drink towards Noctis's way and Noctis himself picks up the caramel-filled cup with one hand while he feels Ignis's eyes on him.</p><p>He takes a whiff of the alcohol, not really smelling much but he guesses he isn't much of a drink connoisseur to know better, much less a bourbon whiskey one. He places the edge of the cup onto his lips and leans it back until a bit of the liquid fills his mouth. He then lets go of the cup, swallowing the liquid down and licking his lips for a moment, before brightening.</p><p>"Woah, it's … sweeter than what I imagined it to be," Noctis said, wiping his wet lips away with a thumb.</p><p>"Well, Tenebrae was always well known for their sweet, fruity flavors when it comes to certain consumables," He says and Noctis can practically hear the smile in his voice, hearing his chair shift as Noctis takes another sip of the drink, "Plus, bourbon whiskey is naturally sweet on the first place, so the ingredients most likely enhance that taste even more."</p><p>Noctis huffs, holding the cup by the rim with the digits of his fingers. "Never pinned you as a bourbon expert either." He said, resting his cheek on his knee as he feels the buzz of the alcohol already filling his system. Gladio always joked he would be a lightweight if he ever drank and he supposes he would laugh louder at being correct about that assumption.</p><p>Ignis just winks at Noctis, giving him a smile that maybe or maybe not made Noctis's stomach flip. He blames it on the alcohol as he looks away, flustered. Ignis gives out a breathy laugh before going back to look at the glimmering lake and Noctis eventually joins him, relishing at the cool breeze dancing through his hair and the earthly smell of the lake that made him want to fish fill his nose.</p><p>There's a comfortable silence between the two before Noctis gently spoke up as he stared at the hypnotizing swirls of the brown bourbon, eyes half-lidded from a mix of drowsiness and being a bit drunk, "Do you regret it?"</p><p>"Regret what, exactly?" </p><p>"I dunno, running away with me, I guess? Staying by my side all this time?" </p><p>"Never, not once in a lifetime," He says, embarrassingly matter of fact that it makes Noctis flush, but he once again blames it on the bourbon that currently brings his stomach aflame, before he hears Ignis continue with, "Why do you ask?" </p><p>"I don't know… You just seem to do the most for me, especially planning this whole big thing so we could run away with no problems or anyone being able to find us and.." Noctis says while waving his hands around before watching the bourbon form a small tornado within the cup, twisting and turning like his stomach, "I can't help but wonder if that inconveniences or annoys you in… someway."</p><p>"I always enjoyed doing things for you, I still do," Ignis said with a rough voice as if he was crying for hours and hours, "Especially that. You weren't happy in Insomnia, you were practically like a bird trapped in a cage." </p><p>"I wasn't trapped-"</p><p>"Well, you certainly looked like it," Ignis hissed, not really towards Noctis but the kingdom and city that was built up by lies as he gripped the neck of the bottle and looked down at the edge of the balcony that was lined by protective rails, "You appeared so… depressed weeks, perhaps even days, after your ascension. You never wanted to be king nor rule and as your advisor, I should've realized that sooner-"</p><p>"Don't blame yourself. I mean I never told anyone and you found out eventually, didn't you?" Noctis reassured, taking a quick, large gulp of the drink before placing the cup back on the table. Ignis shook his head, running a hand through his hair and sighing.</p><p>"You're right, I did realize eventually, but you know what else? I never acted once I realized. I foolishly thought you would get over it eventually, that somehow you'll come around to enjoy being king. But you never did, and it pains me to this day knowing that I could've relieved you of your pain sooner." Ignis said, pained and he gripped his dress shirt with dull nails, "I was your advisor, I am your lover-I should've been so naive and taken action more quickly." Noctis purses his lips at that, before inhaling and exhaling a calming breathe.</p><p>"Igs, it doesn't matter that you didn't do it quickly or not. To me, it just mattered that you did in the end," Noctis said, almost slurs, smiling as he fiddled with the golden band that graces his finger instead of the black heirloom that only takes and takes and never gives, an uncomfortable weight that has since been lifted from his fingers thanks to Ignis and Ignis alone, "I've been happier than I have been for years and like… I mean, I miss everyone obviously but, as long as I am with you, I feel like I can be happy no matter where I am, ya know?" </p><p>Ignis was silent after hearing that and Noctis had half a mind to feel embarrassed for the sappy words before he heard Ignis giving out a shaky breath and the bottle being placed gently on the table with a charming clink. Noctis turned his head towards him with a small smile, knowing what that shaky breathe always meant, watching Ignis barely cover his expression by looking down and holding the bottle's neck with a tight, crushing grip.</p><p>Despite his slightly inebriated state, he could always read Ignis like an open book, just as Ignis could for him. That's the thing about them, they always understood each other no matter what. No one never really understood them growing up, a child with a royal upbringing and a child prodigy that had to take care of said child. The fact they are subtle people didn't help either- it was truly a feat for someone to be able to understand how they feel with the minimal amount of body language and words they give out- But they did for each other.</p><p>Maybe it's because they are similar in subtlety so it's easy to perceive or maybe because they knew each other for twenty-four years or more. He doesn't really know, can't really think straight because of the bourbon bringing any coherent thought aflame, but he just understood that they got each other. It brings some kind of weight on Noctis's heart, pleasant and ever grounding him to know that there's someone who understands him just as he understands himself and he can understand Ignis just as well.</p><p>"Don't cry, Ignis," He says, leaning over and ignoring the discomfort of the table pressed on his side to wipe the few small droplets away with his fingers. Ignis leans into the touch, like a cat, and Noctis can feel the rough skin etched by scars scratching his skin in a not so bad kind of way.</p><p>"It's because of the alcohol," Ignis says hoarsely as an excuse, and Noctis laughs, hovering the edges of his fingers underneath Ignis's chin and guiding Ignis's head to face him. Despite him not being of royalty anymore, Ignis always tries to do what he asked and bestows to him his calm yet tearful face. His eyes were closed and eyelashes fanning his cheekbones, his lips quivering gently quivering. It almost looked like a painting at the Citadel, Noctis muses, one art historians would assume is about a beautiful god perhaps quietly mourning about his mortal lover's death or some deep shit like that.</p><p>It isn't that deep though, not really, as Noctis got up and somewhat awkwardly brought his lips to Ignis. It wasn't really a kiss, more just hovering of lips if anything, barely tasting the sweet flavor of the bourbon that remained on his lips. But Ignis still shuddered afterward like he always did after they kiss like he couldn't believe that was real, like any of this was real. Noctis sat back down, his hands still underneath Ignis's chin and Ignis blinked slowly, his eyes looked so hazy and so content like a cat slow blinking out of love. The sight almost made Noctis laugh- the uptight, straight-laced ex-advisor being daunted by inebriation and lovesickness, for him no less.</p><p>"How bold you become." is all Ignis says and Noctis snorts, moving his hands to Ignis's cheek before rubbing his thumb on his cheekbones. Ignis leans in, pushing his cheek onto Noctis's hands.</p><p>"I've always been bold, I just hid it well."</p><p>"Hm, I wouldn't think so," He murmurs, closing and opening his eyes like he's about to doze off and if Noctis was being honest, he probably was. Noctis rolls his eyes at that, seeing Ignis give some semblance of a smirk.</p><p>"You know what I mean," Noctis says, a whine ending his sentence. Ignis giggles dumbly, dreamily, slowly wrapping his fingers onto Noctis's wrists and turning his head to kiss the palms of Noctis's sword calloused hands.</p><p>"I always do."</p>
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